Alexander Wang FW16

So-called bad taste is a megatrend right now, so, for Fall 2016 Alexander Wang put on a collection that «deliberately opposes standard definitions of beauty and taste». He turned the preppiest of preppy codes, embroidered corduroys, on its head, replacing whales with pole dancers—funnier than the intarsia sweaters featuring an enlarged version of the same motif. Its mashup of prim tweed suits and tank dresses subverted by skimpy hemlines; delicate, sheer tulle tops disrupted with brash censor bars bearing words like «girls» «faded» «strict» and «tender» across the breasts and wrapping around thighs; and pretty lace insets shaped like marijuana leaves on mohair minis and coats, as lace insets on boudoir-ish dresses, as a print on miniature bucket bags: that was more cute than vulgar. One step more sophisticated than straight-up logos, they serve the same essential purpose of brand identifying in our Instagram-obsessed world.

Alexander Wang FW16 jewelry collection: chain-link rhodium earrings and leather-and-rhodium chokers.

#NYFW DESIGNERS BOUTIQUE: